Plastic Dreams
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"Plastic Dreams" is the debut single by producers
Jaydee Robin Albers (born 1956), who uses the stage name Jaydee, is a Dutch house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 ...
, initially released on
R&S Records R&S Records is an independent record label founded in 1983 in Ghent, Belgium. R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple that created the label. R&S Records has had several subsidiaries, most notably Apollo R ...
in 1992. It was successful in European countries and also achieved success in the US, where it topped the ''Billboard'' charts in two different categories. American music critic
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
named it the best single of 1993 in his year-end list for the
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
critics poll.


Composition and release

The song, an instrumental, features a prominent
Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...
style
synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...
melody played in a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
y,
improvised Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...
manner. With some versions around ten minutes long, the song is known for giving dancers a good
aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, involving, or requiring oxygen", and refers to the use of ...
workout. In 1993, "Plastic Dreams" hit number-one on the US
Hot Dance Music/Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart. The song continues to be
remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
ed and re-released today by many artists, such as
David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1961) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Mar ...
, mostly on unsolicited
white label White label may refer to: * White-label product, a permitted replication and rebranding of a product * White label record, records with plain white labels attached. * White Label Music, an independent record label based in the United Kingdom * ''Wh ...
s. The track has made the British charts on more than one occasion, first in September 1997 when it reached number 18 and again in January 2004 when it reached number 35. In 1993,
Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...
(owned by
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
) featured the song on the first edition of the compilation ''Welcome to the Future''. Shortly after, Epic Records negotiated the acquisition of most rights associated with the song.


Critical reception

Ian Dinsmor from
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
said, "Considered an undying anthem within club culture, "Plastic Dreams" never fails to bring smiles and yells from dancefloor revelers. Recognizable immediately by its droning synth and rolling organ riffs, this track has become a classic late night staple at inner city clubs."
Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' commented, "Robin Albers, the act's mastermind, cooks an appetizing stew of chunky tribal beats and free-form
trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...
keyboard noodling. The track gets its edge from an aftertaste of subtle
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
spice." British magazine ''
Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...
'' ranked it number 15 in its "100 Greatest Dance Singles Of All Time" list in 1996. Charlie Hall from ''
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
s ''RM'' Dance Update commented, "More than 10 minutes of pure trancey groove. This is the first classic of '93, the most sexy bass and organ riffs strolling along — totally funky and chilled without losing any momentum or getting
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
. It builds and teases but never loses the groove." A reviewer from ''The Network Forty'' deemed it "a fierce trance track with very sparse vocals..." Sherman at the Controls from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' noted, "A cavernous, hollow sound reverberates as a piping
Doors A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide secu ...
-style organ skips in an out for over ten minutes journeying ever deeper, ever darker. Quite an incredible fusion and ''Vibes'' SOTW. Number Two." James Hunter from ''
Vibe Vibe, alternatively '' vibes,'' is short for ''vibration''. A "vibe" is an emotional reaction to the aura or energy felt to belong to a person, place or thing. Vibe may also refer to: People * DJ Vibe (born 1968), Portuguese DJ * Lasse Vibe (b ...
'' wrote that the track "is a
rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
instrumental to compete with
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...
's " Rockit". The Jaydee touch—earthy in the keyboard melody, unstoppable and space-bound in the wave after wave of rhythm tracks—is warm, brave. Both "Trance" and "Tribal" mixes excel." American music critic
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
for ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' named it the best single of 1993 in his year-end list for the
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
critics poll.


Impact and legacy

American DJ, DJ Camacho, named "Plastic Dreams" one of his favourites in 1995, saying, "This has been out four or five years and it's still being played. It's guaranteed to get everyone on the floor, no matter what crowd you are playing to. It's another one of my favourite mixing records. I always carry this with me. I play soulful so I balance out the music with something else. This is a great
techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
record than can be played pitched down to minus 2 and then it just takes you on a trip. It's the only techno track that made it back here and it got picked up by
Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...
." In 1996, English musician, DJ, and record producer
Norman Cook Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of samples from eclectic genres, combined ...
also named it one of his favourites, adding, "The ultimate E-head record. Three records turned me on to
house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...
: this one, 'I'll Be Your Friend' by Robert Owens and ' A Deeper Love' by Clivilles & Cole." In 1997, American songwriter, record producer, DJ and singer Robert Owens picked the song as one of his all-time top-10 tracks. He explained, "This is hypnotic and sure to get the floor going every time. It came out around 1993. It's one of those slow, building kind of records that will always be around. A classic ahead of its time. It's something l've never taken out of my box."


Versions


1992 versions

* "Plastic Dreams" (Long Version) — 10:15 * "Plastic Dreams" (Radio Edit) — 3:05 * "Plastic Dreams" (Remix Radio Edit) — 4:40 * "Plastic Dreams" (Trance Mix) — 6:55 * "Plastic Dreams" (Tribal Mix) — 7:20 * "Plastic Dreams" (Groove Mix) — 8:36


1995 versions

* "Plastic Dreams" (
Rhythm Masters Rhythm Masters are an English house music duo composed of DJs Robert Chetcuti and Steve Mac, a.k.a. Steve McGuinness. Biography They began mixing together around 1993 after meeting in Malta, doing remixes for, among others, Todd Terry, Michae ...
Remix) — 7:41 * "Plastic Dreams" (Pascal F.E.O.S. Remix Part I) — 7:16 * "Plastic Dreams" (Pascal F.E.O.S. Remix Part II) — 6:50 * "Plastic Dreams" (The 2000 Remake) — 8:00


1997 versions

* "Plastic Dreams" (S & S radio mix) — 3:44 * "Plastic Dreams" (Shahin & Simon Re-construction) — 6:30 * "Plastic Dreams" (Funky Green Dub) ( Murk) — 8:01 * "Plastic Dreams" (Miami Heat Beats) ( Murk) * "Plastic Dreams" (
Frank De Wulf Frank De Wulf (born 1968) is a Belgian DJ, musician and record label owner. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Belgian new beat and techno scene. Life and career Frank De Wulf was born in 1968 as the youngest of three sons.David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1961) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Mar ...
Remix) — 8:20 * "Plastic Dreams" (
David Morales David Morales (; born August 21, 1961) is an American disc jockey (DJ) and record producer. In addition to his production and DJ work, Morales is also a remixer. David Morales has remixed and produced over 500 releases for artists including Mar ...
Club Mix) — 11:02 * "Plastic Dreams" (Bass & Drum Remix) (
Morales Morales is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alfredo Morales (born 1990), American footballer * Alvaro Morales (disambiguation), several people * Amado Morales (born 1947), Puerto Rican javelin thrower * Bartolomé Mo ...
) — 8:03 * "Plastic Dreams" (Def Mix) (
Morales Morales is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alfredo Morales (born 1990), American footballer * Alvaro Morales (disambiguation), several people * Amado Morales (born 1947), Puerto Rican javelin thrower * Bartolomé Mo ...
) * "Plastic Dreams" (David's Dream) (
Morales Morales is a Spanish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Alfredo Morales (born 1990), American footballer * Alvaro Morales (disambiguation), several people * Amado Morales (born 1947), Puerto Rican javelin thrower * Bartolomé Mo ...
) — 15:03 * "Plastic Dreams" (
Angel Moraes Angel Moraes (August 7, 1965 – February 27, 2021) was an electronic music DJ from Brooklyn, New York. Career He began his career in the 1980s and was the DJ at NYC nightclubs. He formed the record label Hot 'N' Spycy in 1993. One of his own fir ...
's Dream Mix) — 5:11 * "Plastic Dreams" (
Peshay Paul Pesce (born 18 December 1970), better known as Peshay, is a British drum and bass and electronic music producer and DJ. Early life Peshay is of British and Italian heritage. His first introduction to music was at an early age through h ...
Remix) — 8:24 * "Plastic Dreams" (Hohner Retro Mix) — 6:09 * "Plastic Dreams" ( Mr YT Remix) — 6:53 * "Plastic Dreams" (
Boom Boom Satellites were a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they released all of their albums in Japan. ...
Remix) — 7:55 * "Plastic Dreams" (T.C.'s Remix) (Tony Crooks) — 6:40 * "Plastic Dreams" (Rainforest Mix) (Tony Crooks) — 6:44


2003 versions

* "Plastic Dreams" (Radio Edit) — 3:29 * "Plastic Dreams" (MC Version) — 3:54 * "Plastic Dreams" (Radio Edit) — 3:23 * "Plastic Dreams" (2003 Remix) — 7:14 * "Plastic Dreams" (ATFC 'Plastic Surgery' Remix) — 9:10 * "Plastic Dreams" (Lee-Cabrera Remix) — 6:34 * "Plastic Dreams" (Tayo & Acid Rockers Remix) — 7:20 * "Plastic Dreams" (Twisted Individual Remix) — 5:53 * "Plastic Dreams" (LSD Remix) — 12:03


2006 version

* "Plastic Dreams" (Switch Remix) — 7:09


2008 version

* "Plastic Dreams" (Wideboys Bassline Remix) — 5:00


2011 versions

* "Plastic Dreams" (Sergio Fernandez & JP Candela Remix) — 7:46 * "Plastic Dreams" (Koen Groeneveld Remix) - 7:25 * "Plastic Dreams" ( Dino Lenny & Amnesia Remix) - 8:11 * "Plastic Dreams" (Reborn Mix) - 8:21 * "Plastic Dreams" (Sergio Fernandez & JP Candela Remix) - 7:44 * "Plastic Dreams" (Folsch & Lanza Remix) - 6:36 * "Plastic Dreams" (Housebangerz feat. MC Joe Remix) - 6:29 * "Plastic Dreams" (Valley Mix) - 9:49


2012 version

* Audiojack - "Plastic Dreams" (20 Year Tribute) — 8:20


2016 version

* "Plastic Dreams" ( Shadow Child Remix) — 6:03


2019 versions

* "Plastic Dreams" ( Nicole Moudaber Renaissance Remix) — 9:08 * The Cube Guys - "Plastic Dreams" (Cubed Remix 2020) — 6:01


Popular culture

* The song is featured in the 2005 video game '' Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories'' on the radio station Rise FM. * The song is featured in the 2016 movie "
Belgica Gallia Belgica ("Belgic Gaul") was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire located in the north-eastern part of Roman Gaul, in what is today primarily northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, along with parts of the Netherlands and German ...
" by director Felix van Groeningen.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References

{{reflist 1992 songs 1993 debut singles 1997 singles 2003 singles 1990s instrumentals Jaydee songs Spinnin' Records singles Epic Records singles UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles